In a control plane network, network connections can be moved either using Break-Before-Make (BBM) (e.g. delete and add) or Make-Before-Break (MBB) (e.g. bridge and roll). MBB is preferred as it reduces the outage time and reduces operational corner cases. MBB relies on a fabric (data plane) that can bi-cast (multicast) and select. If the fabric cannot support bridge and select capabilities (i.e., a unicast fabric), then the MBB function cannot be used. This leads to a removal of the MBB functions and therefore opening the control plane to more corner case conditions (e.g. transaction rollback that results in a data plane outage). The MBB function is also required for various other important applications, such as Retain Home Path (RHP) where resources are reserved on the home path while a connection is not on all or part of the home path, Time of Day Reversion (ToDR), co-routed Subnetwork Connections (SNCs), Manual Switch to Protect (MSP), Revert, regenerator maintenance activity, amplifier site insertion, and the like.
A single node not capable of performing MBB operations prevents others from using MBB operations, on an associated connection. Also, MBB is a very difficult proposition to implement in photonic networks. Even the theoretical implementation is very costly and would lead to a limitation in other Layer 0 and optical functionalities. Thus, there is a need for MBB systems and methods with a unicast fabric in control plane networks.